The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-03-30

and Re, Lnov
ana rsihiA IN
There are l..
to be found in VA
lea, IS well az in Eu
North Afica. They were
China as early rs 200 b. G.
proyinte OF Algeria the French n.
bored large numbers, 1853 Of which ere
flowing, but many OF them yield water
that would be CONDEMNED for iriiga-
tion in Colorado. In Eogsnd, where
over 1000 have been sunk, II WAS soon
discovered that the yield deere wed
gradually aud many ceased TO dow.
The famous we'll at Grsnel!e, nesr
Paris, 1905 feet in depth; the Dupont
at Louisville (2OS6), the Belchet (2l99),
and Asylum (SS49) at st. Louis, are all
highly charged with mineral cats.
These wells are in use for mauufactur-
ing purposes in Boston, Chicago and
other cities, and there are some geo In
Alabama. There are forty artesian
wells, varyicg in depth from 10 to 5000
feet, in MaDhattaA Island, New York.
DIR. Cyrus Edison lately read paper
before the County Medical Society OF
New York, in which he says, "maUy
OF these wells gre polluted, the best Of
them containing thirty grains Of eew-
ego matter 10 the ga ION Of water"
The limited success that has re-
suited from the borings of the wells Of
Charleston, 3. o, was due to a knowl-
edge OF the geological region from
which they ara supplied. Beginning
nd
ENTHUSIASTICALLY, line Of exposed
granite ridges, elsewhere covered
with superficial drift sand Nnd clay, ex-
tends northward through North Caro-
lima, Virginia ard Maryland. The
rainfall sinking into these deposits is
carried by gravity to ths r lazy baain
underlying that city, which 10 also
supplied from the streams of the up
country, the pressure being ruffici-
emily great TO die charge the water be-
low the tea level. The principal
Charleston well, reported in Crnes's
Ststitticsl Tables OF American Water
Works for 1884, ia burdeped with
bonded debt Of 1900, 600, and supplies
for consumption the email amount of
500, 900 gallons daily, at cost Of
sos 81 per million gallons, estimdted on
tAc bonded deb! only, the works being
supported by an annual subsidy
OF iii,SSS paid by the city for Are
purposes.
Conside ING, therefore, our lack OF
knowledge OF the qualifications, the
uncertainty Of the quantity and quail.
ity OF the water, the dagger Of ex-
hausting the supply, the mineral
water with which 1t is apt TO be-
charged, the cost OF structures Gnd
pumping for delivery, and that there
does not exist one large city which
takes It's entire public supply from
subterraneous sources, IL Is concluded
that Memphis furnishes no exception
to the universal experience, and that
II would be unwise aud hazardous 10
adopt a plan OF artesian wells for O
public supply.
reached from the Investigations made
to date are summarize sd as follows:
THAT the geological conditions neo-
essary for obtaining an adequate sup
ply Of wholeso ne water, by means of
bored wells, known az the gang we'll
or Andrews system, do not exist In or
near Memphis,
THAT no certain reliance eau DO
placed In the results o5t iinahlo from
deep seated or ar!esian wells for pub
lie service, because the sources OF sup
ply are unknown, the water IL likely
10 be charged with mineral substances,
the supply is liable to become OK
and that the cost per million
gallons would he VreAter than tina coat
Of surface supply"